Oregano Feta Hummus with Greek Pico de Gallo

This Oregano Feta Hummus and Greek Pico de Gallo is Greekalicious!!! The oregano and feta add a nice twist on the classic hummus while the Greek Pico de Gallo adds a delightful fresh quality.

As you may know from my prior post, my dear friend Brian passed away a couple weeks ago and it was time to pay my respects. Beto and I drove down to Venice Beach for his paddle out last weekend. On our way down we met our friend Carl and went for a really spectacular hike at Pinnacle National Park. The cool thing was that we all felt like we could feel Brian’s presence with us during the hike.

Every time someone in our Venice/Santa Monica community passes on we have a paddle out to celebrate their life. A paddle out is when a whole group of surfers paddle out into the ocean and form a large circle. They say a prayer; offer flowers and splash the water vigorously while the lifeguard shoots out a huge stream of water into the air from the lifeguard boat. They then spread the ashes into the water and everyone cheers. It’s quite beautiful. Before the paddle out, everyone gathered around some of Brian’s closest friends who each told stories about experiences they had with Brian. All of the stories were very funny because Brian was hysterical. The stories helped to lighten the mood. It was an overcast morning, yet the sun came out during the storytelling and then quickly retreated once again behind the cloud cover once the storytelling ended. After the paddle out, everyone headed to a local bar and we continued to tell stories of our many experiences with Brian. There was a lot of laughter and a lot tears.

Life is so precious and easy to take for granted. When we lose someone close, we tend to realize how precious life really is. A few post back I talked about the bike Brian and Beto gave me. I was thinking how I wanted to call Brian to tell him that Robby had fixed it up and to show him on Facetime. Unfortunately, I procrastinated and then it was too late. If you have a feeling that you should call someone, don’t hesitate, just do it!

I like a crisp dry white wine with these dips. Like a Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Riesling or even a Dry Rosé.

Oregano Feta Hummus Recipe:

Approx. 2 Cups

3/4 Cup Dried Garbanzo Beans – 1 1/2 Cups Cooked

1/3 Cup Feta Cheese

2/3 Cup Roasted Tahini

1/3 Cup Fresh Oregano

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3/4 Cup Filtered Water

2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 Cloves Garlic

3/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Greek Pico de Gallo Recipe:

1 Cucumber – diced

1 Container Cherry Tomato – halved – or quartered

1/4 Red Onion or 1/2 Cup – minced

1/3 Cup Feta – crumbled

2 Tablespoons Fresh Oregano – roughly chopped

1 – 2 Cloves Garlic – minced

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed

1/2 Teaspoon Salt – or to taste

Baked Pita Chips

4 – 6 Pita – cut each pita into 24 wedges

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions:

Preparing garbanzo beans

You can cook the garbanzo beans two different ways: one is a quick way, the other is by soaking the beans overnight which is better for your digestion. This is how I prepare them plus if you are going to make falafels this is the way to go.

Place them in a large bowl with 1 tablespoons of baking soda and cover with filtered water. They will expand to over double their size, make sure you cover by several inches of water to allow for expansion. Soak overnight for at least 12 hours then drain and rinse.

Quick method

Place the beans in a pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water above the beans and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let the beans soak in the warm water for 1 hour then drain the water and rinse. Follow cooking the beans instructions below.

Cooking the beans

Just add chickpeas and 1 teaspoons of baking soda to a large saucepan over high heat. Stirring constantly for about 2 – 3 minutes. Covers the chickpeas by about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil and reduce to simmer on medium heat for about 30 – 60 minutes or until soft, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. Skim off the foam and skins that float to the surface. They should be very fairly tender pressing between your fingers but not too mushy.

or

Put the beans back in the pot and cover with several inches of filtered water.

Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer on medium heat for about 30 – 60 minutes or until soft, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. They should be very fairly tender pressing between your fingers but not too mushy.

Hummus

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Greek Pico de Gallo

Mix all ingredients together and set aside to let flavors incorporate. I like to serve it at room temperature.

Baked Pita Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cut each pita into 24 triangles and place on one side of a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and gently toss. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until crispy.

Health benefits:

Garbanzo beans are super high in protein and extremely high in fiber, just one cup provides 50% of the Daily Value. Because of the fiber, they are great for your heart, lowering blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart attack as well as help prevent constipation and digestive disorders. Just one cup provides 84.5% of the daily value of manganese, which is an antioxidant that acts as a monitor of the free radicals in the body. If you are low in energy the high iron content will help and will transport oxygen from the lungs to all the cells in the body. They also help to balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. Garbanzo beans are helpful for weight loss as they keep you full longer.

Oregano is one of the highest sources of antioxidants. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is great for the respiratory system. It helps to get rid of phlegm in your lungs. Oregano is a rich source of dietary fiber that helps to control blood cholesterol levels. Oregano can help liver function and helps speed up toxin elimination.

Oregano Feta Hummus with Greek Pico de Gallo was last modified: August 31st, 2017 by STEPH